There is a good chance you have
heard the following story, because it
is a favorite of preachers. A man
tells that one morning he had
discovered a cocoon in the bark of a
tree. He noticed that a butterfly was
trying to emerge from the cocoon.
He waited a while, but it took so
long. Finally, he decided to help the
poor creature along. Slowly and
carefully, he tore the cocoon to help
the butterfly escape. The butterfly
started to come out, but its wings
were folded back and crumpled. The
butterfly valiantly struggled but
could not make it and soon died.
The man had forced the butterfly to
come out before its time without a
struggle. As he held the little body
in his hands, he realized the terrible
thing that he had done. It was the
struggle to come out of the cocoon
that the butterfly needed to pump
the fluids into it's wings and give it
strength. Without the struggle, it
died.
If you're going through tough times
right now or if you do in the future,
don't label God as uncaring and
don't give up on Him. It may be that
you need to strengthen your wings
of faith to be what you're supposed
to be. If he reached out and
interfered you may never grow into
what he has intended you to be.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians "There
hath no tempatation taken you but
such as is common to man; but God
is faithful, who will not allow you to
be tempted above that which you
are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to
escape, that you may be able to
bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
-Steve Blair